Morocco Overtakes Kenya as Avocado Export King

Hello 👋🏽 It's Brian from The Kenyan Wall Street.

In today's newsletter,

• Kenya has been overtaken as the leading exporter of avocados in Africa. Why has this happened?

• Despite rising revenue collections, the Kenyan government is still relying heavily on domestic debt

• Different analysts have valued Kenya Pipeline below the KSh 9.00 mark ahead of the IPO. Does this spell doom?

Morocco Overtakes Kenya as Avocado Export King 

By Brian Nzomo  

Kenya has lost its crown as Africa’s top avocado exporter, overtaken by Morocco, which shipped 140,000 tonnes in 2025 while Kenyan exports fell 19% to 105,000 tonnes. The decline was driven largely by the Red Sea crisis, which nearly doubled transit times to Europe and hiked shipping costs, eroding Kenya’s longtime price advantage. Morocco, by contrast, expanded its harvested area and maintained stable logistics, allowing it to supply the EU reliably. The shift highlights how infrastructure and trade resilience can outweigh decades of production investment. For Kenya, the question now is whether it can fix bottlenecks fast enough to reclaim its market, or if this marks the start of a longer slide.

Read the story here >>>>>

Tax Collections Rise but still…not enough

By Harry Njuguna

Kenya collected KSh 1.34 trillion in taxes by January, but that is below the historical pace for this stage of the year. To fill the gap, the government has borrowed heavily at home, already using two-thirds of its domestic borrowing plan. Enforcement is tightening, with electronic invoicing and automated checks aimed at catching tax leakages. Customs and fuel taxes will be key in the coming months, but volatility in imports and prices makes revenue unpredictable. For now, the country is running on a mix of compliance and credit, hoping taxpayers and markets can keep up.

Read the whole story here >>>>>

INSIGHT : Is Kenya Pipeline IPO Overpriced?

By Harry Njuguna 

Uganda’s Old Mutual has added fuel to the fire over Kenya Pipeline Company’s KSh 9.00 IPO, valuing the shares at KSh 4.61 and implying a near 50 percent downside. The divergence between independent analysts and deal sponsors underscores a debate over whether KPC’s regulated monopoly and stable dividends justify a premium price. With Uganda accounting for a third of throughput and East African governments set to get a stake, the IPO carries both financial and political weight. Investors are now left weighing a high-profile infrastructure play against what some see as an overpriced entry, leaving post-listing price discovery as the ultimate arbiter.

Read the analysis here »»»»»

Diaspora Dollars Decrease 

By Harry Njuguna

Kenya’s diaspora remittances slowed in January, falling to KSh 53.1 billion after record inflows in late 2025, as seasonal patterns and weaker Gulf transfers took hold. The dip masked a deeper resilience, with total remittances still hovering near historic highs and continuing to rise modestly over the past year. North America, led by the United States, remained the dominant lifeline, while the United Kingdom quietly overtook Saudi Arabia as Kenya’s second-largest remittance source. Even with the monthly pullback, diaspora dollars remain one of the country’s most dependable financial anchors, covering nearly 40% of Kenya’s vast trade deficit and helping steady the shilling.

Read the whole story here »»»»»

On Your Watchlist 

Is it better to talk about money before or after you say "I do"? In this episode of the ‘Just Money Podcast’ , we dive deep into the uncomfortable but essential conversations every couple needs to have before getting serious.

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Upcoming Events : InvestKenya Announces the Upcoming Kenya International Investment Conference (KIICO) 2026

Taking place at the Radisson Blu Upper Hill on March 25, 2026, the 4th Kenya International Investment Conference (KIICO) 2026 is set to be the largest and most impactful investment promotion conference in Kenya’s history. Register here »»»»»

During KIICO 2026, Kenya will also host the 2nd COMESA Investment Forum on March 26 and the Africa Green Industrialization Initiative (AGII) on March 27th.

Read more about it here »»»»»

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